Summary of Peru

I have finished writing up our travels in Peru so thought this would be a good time to reflect and to briefly summarise our six weeks in this amazing country.

Highlights

We were lucky enough to have many amazing experiences in Peru, so it is really hard to narrow it down but I’ll give it a go:

The Salkantay Trek and Inca Trails

Okay, this one is a bit obvious and a bit of a cop-out given that it was over eight days and incorporated multiple experiences; but doing these treks and finishing up at Machu Picchu was definitely our favourite part of our trip to Peru. Climbing the Salkantay Pass, visiting multiple Incan ruins and then passing through the cloud to reveal Machu Picchu were moments we will never forget. To review these hikes you can click here for the Salkantay Trek and here for the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu.

Seeing Rainbow Mountain and the Red Valley

Despite this attraction being very touristy the setting is just stunning. It is certainly a must-do as a day trip from Cusco. To have another look at the photos of this place, which still don’t do it justice, then please click here.

Visiting the different communities on Lake Titicaca

Experiencing the different cultures on the floating and normal islands of Lake Titicaca was humbling. Combined with the vastness of the inland lake, this was a very memorable day out. To have another read about it then please click here.

Dune-buggying in Huacachina

An adrenaline-fuelled trip through the dessert culminating in seeing the sun set over the sand-dunes. There are worst ways to spend an evening… To review our time in Huacachina, then please click here.

Hiking to Lagunas Churup and 69

We didn’t have the best of luck during our time in Huaraz but that doesn’t take away from how amazing these two spots are. We thoroughly enjoyed these small hikes. To read about these hikes, along with our other day trips from Huaraz, then please click here.

Lowlights

Okay, I’m pretty sure that’s not a word but you know what I’m getting at.

Getting sick in Huaraz

It didn’t take long to come up with this one. Getting a parasite that had me in bed for days was not fun. Not only that, it ruined our plans for seeing some of the north of Peru. It was just an overall rubbish experience.

And yet that is probably it. Which is pretty unbelievable given that we were travelling for six weeks. There are obviously small mishaps and problems as you go along and we weren’t always lucky with the weather but nothing else major went wrong – we were very fortunate in that regard.

What to do next time

Six weeks is no where near enough time to see everything in Peru. We knew this prior to coming but also I don’t think we quite appreciated just how big Peru is and how long it takes to get around. So here are some things we missed out on and would like to do if we’re ever lucky enough to come back:

The Choquequirao Trek

Now that we’ve done the Salkantay Trek and Inca Trail, it would be cool to attempt this hike. Seen as another alternative Inca Trail, this trek leads to Choquequirao, another Incan city but larger and less touristy than Machu Picchu.

The Santa Cruz Trek in the Cordillera Blanca

Circumstances meant that we didn’t attempt this iconic hike whilst we were in Huaraz. We’d like to come back in peak hiking season to give it a go.

Chan Chan in Trujillo

If we had made it to the north of Peru, our first stop would have been Trujillo, a city on the coast north of Lima. Just outside the city is the pre-Incan ruined city of Chan Chan. This UNESCO World Heritage site certainly looks to be worth a visit.

Kuelap and Gocta Waterfall from Chachapoyas

Kuelap is probably the place that I was most disappointed in not getting to see when we were unable to travel north. It is another pre-Incan settlement and is situated in the cloud forest near to Chachapoyas. The setting looks to be incredible.

Also near to Chachapoyas is Gocta Waterfall, supposedly the most spectacular waterfall in Peru.

Conclusion

We had a fantastic time. Peru has everything. Fascinating historical monuments, beautiful nature, stunning scenery, varied cultures, adventure activities, good food, friendly people; the list just goes on. It is really hard to put it into words but if you ever get the opportunity to visit this country then please do so!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about our travels so far and that you’ll continue to join us as we move onto Ecuador…